Carthamus tinctorius L. response to nano-silicon foliar treatment under organic and inorganic fertilizer application

We studied the impacts of foliar application of nano-silicon in combination with various fertilizer treatments (both organic and chemical) on the yield and yield components of safflower in an upland semi-arid environment in Maragheh, Iran. The trial evaluated the application of 0.0 and 20 mM nano-silicon in conjunction with different fertilizer treatments, including a control, 90 kg ha-1 NPK, and organic fertilizer at rates of 15 and 30 t ha-1. Analysis using a principal components approach revealed that the first two principal components of the treatment by trait biplot model explained 66% and 22% of the observed variability, respectively. Positive correlations were observed among straw yield, achene yield, and harvest index, as well as among capitula number per plant, seed per subsidiary capitulum, and the number of highest capitula. The combination of NPK with 20 mM nano-silicon resulted in superior yield performance, whereas the combination of 30 t ha-1 organic fertilizer with 20 mM nano-silicon exhibited enhanced yield components. Plant height emerged as the most representative trait, with high discrimination potential. Treatment with 30 t ha-1 organic fertilizer, combined with both 0.0 and 20 mM nano-silicon, was identified as the optimal treatment combination for discriminating among various safflower traits. Namen raziskave je bil preučiti vpliv uporabe nano silicija v kombinaciji z različnimi načini gnojenja na pridelek in njegove komponenete pri žafraniki. V poskusu so bili ovrednoteni uporaba nano silicija v odmerkih 0,0- in 20-mM v povezavi z različnimi režimi gnojenja, ki so vsebovali kontrolo, 90 kg ha-1 NPK in organska gnojila v odmerkih 15 in 30 t ha-1. Ovrednotenje z glavnimi komponentami je odkrilo, da sta prvi komponeneti pri obravnavi lastnosti v biplotu razložili 66 % in 22 % variabilnosti. Pozitivne korelacije so bile ugotovljene med pridelkom slame, pridelkom rožk in žetvenim indeksom kot tudi med številom stranskih poganjkov na rastlino, semen na stranskih koških in številom najvišjih koškov. Obravnave so pokazale, da je gnojenje z NPK in 20 mM nano-silicija dalo najboljši pridelek medtem, ko je uporaba 30 t ha-1 organskega gnojila z 20 mM nano-silicija pospešila komponente pridelka. Višina rastlin se je izkazala kot najbolj reprezentativna lastnost z velikim potencialom razločevanja. Obravnava s 30 t ha-1 organskega gnojila, v kombinaciji z 0,0- ali 20-mM nano-silicija je bila prepoznana kot optimalno obravnavanje za prepozn